The Close House Colt

[Marty Bonnar]

Spent a lovely weekend in England's North East Corner at Close House - a marvellous little Country House Hotel near Newcastle. The 'Geordies' as we know them are wonderfully hospitable, great hosts and very Scot-like in outlook. Tried hard to meet up with our own Mark Pearce, but couldn't make it work unfort. Pity...

Here's some images of our round on Scott MacPherson's Colt-inspired beauty - the, ehm 'Colt' course!

The 'infinity' green of #3:


The first of the par 3s - #4:


Uphill to #5:


And back down the hill to #6 - I LOVED this green:


The Watery par 3 #9:


#11 through a splendid natural saddle - tight...but a birdie for me! Shame about the pylons:


Just ANOTHER splendid par 3 - #12:


and the marvellous w-i-d-e #13 (which I played like a big eedjit):


approach to #16:


#18 - over a Ha-Ha/wall - I'm not sure.....:


and the tres moderne, but VERY comfy great clubhouse:


Great, GREAT fun for the Colt fan - or even just the young tyro!!
cheers,
FBD.

[James Boon]

FBD,

Great to see some pictures of the course now its open. Ben Stephens and I had a chance to walk the back nine last year before it opened and I posted a few pictures here:
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,46291.0.html
But good to see the front nine, which also looks pretty hilly at times!

11 and 12 look good as I was hoping. You hint at not doing great on 13 but I'd be interested to hear more about how it plays?

Cheers,

James

[Bill_McBride]

Is the wall new or existing?  (Not a ha ha I think).

Scott channelling Mackenzie there a bit, lovely bunkering. 

[Colin Macqueen]

Marty,

Lovely photos and another wee beauty of a course - how long is it?
My understanding of a ha-ha is that, yes, it ensures that animals are kept at bay but traditonally does the soil/turf not come up to the top of the wall. From there, at Pitkerro at least, the soil is horizontal for a couple of metres and then slopes down back to the main lawn with the vertical wall on the animal side. None the less it is a damn fine looking dry-stane dyke (or would that have flatter stones in the body?) and overshooting this green would mean you well and truly have your back against the wall.

Orra best,

Colin

[Tom MacWood]

Colt?

[Brett Hochstein]

After seeing the bunkers in the late stages of construction (when Scott Macpherson was kind enough to let me tag along on a day trip), I am surprised to see the way they turned out.  I think I was expecting something a little more formal with the edging.  Not necessarily perfect or geometric, but more simplified.  Not saying I am disapproving, especially as these will get better with age and wear.

I really like this course a lot from a landscape perspective.  It truly feels like an English estate (which it is), and the pace, slopes, and changing of spatial effect is great.  The mix of wide open downhills to tight spaces like 18 incorporating the ha-ha and the old ice pond (correct my history here if I am wrong) is brilliant--not far off from some of the elements incorporated by the great English landscape architect Capability Brown.  This is a historic property and lots of care was taken to highlight its aspects.  Those rolls on the 11th fairway I believe are agricultural remnants from Roman times (again, correct me if I am wrong, Scott).  There are other walls and ha-has as well, and the overall shaping of the course is more minimal and looks like something from the early 1900s.  The angles of play are also great and fit the geometry of the property well.

For a new development, I thought this place was super cool.  Great to see it all come together, and hope I can get back to play it some day.

[Adam Lawrence]

Martin - I don't think that saddle on 11 is natural, it was created by tree removal and a cut - and the reason it's narrow is that the authorities wouldn't permit the trees to be cleared any wider. They have acquired a little more land to the left of the existing tee, and, when I last talked to John Glendinning, the GM, there was the possibility of building new tees about thirty yards further left. I think that would really improve the hole - which I like already.

What did you make of the tee shot on 15? It is interesting for sure, I can't make my mind up whether it's too steep.

[Ally Mcintosh]

A true ha-ha is all about sightlines from the main estate house.... Always adjoining the bottom of any lawned gardens to the fields for livestock... All about keeping out of view from the house any ugly walls or fences... But you know that...

I remember you posting the plan for this Scott and I thought there were some clever looking holes... 13 seems to bear that out... Looks great

What classic courses are close by should I manage to make a weekend over there sometime?

[Mark Pearce]

Ally,

There are a few Colt courses in the area (Brancepeth Castle, Tyneside, Northumberland and City of Newcastle (though I suspect there's not much Colt left at City).  Bamburgh Castle is a Doak "Dumb Blonde" and Berwick upon Tweed (Goswick) is a very decent links.  West of Close House Brampton (near Carlisle) is well worth a play.

If anyone is ever in the area they should give me a shout.  I'm not always as elusive as Martin found me this past weekend....

[Scott Macpherson]

HI Martin,

Thanks for posting about Close House. Wow, you were the recipient of some pretty testing flag positions though... and the one on the 18th is just the hardest I've ever seen!

Adam is correct about the saddle on the 11th. All those trees have a TPO (Tree protection Order) on them, but there was a little gap, and so we went through it, but had to cut down about 2m into the rock to try and give a view of the flag. I must admit, I was concerned about this hole, but it seems to play well, and been well received. I always was more comfortable about the 15th. It is like a 'period piece' hole. It looks like it is from another era (c1930?), and that was a guiding concept behind the whole design.

Ally is correct about the Ha-ha walls too. That wall in front of the 18th is an original Ha-Ha wall... just not right in front of the green. There are sections of it either side - particularly as it runs between the 1st and 18th fairways where is "Ha-ha-ness (??)" can be truly seen. There are many other around the property too, including a really nice one, just in front of the main house.

The wall between the 1st and 18th (during construction)


The wall in front of the 18th (during construction)


18th Hole- View for approach shot (This is many peoples' favourite hole)


Another Ha-ha wall on the property




Colin, The course is about 6,850 yards, par 71. Course record by Lee Westwood is 67.

I have always felt that is this course was compared to another (which is what most of us do), then its brother is Pasateimpo.

Hope you all can make it some day,

regards,

Scott

[James Boon]

Scott,

I was about to send you an e-mail to let you know your course was being talked about, but your ears must have been burning and you beat me to it.

Talking of Westwood, I had spotted the Close House logo on his kit recently. It must be good to have the second best golfer in the World associated with the course!?

Cheers,

James

[Mark Pearce]

I was fortunate to play the Colt course in September.

Despite the name it seemed to me that it channelled Mackenzie, rather than HS Colt.  I enjoyed it enormously (enough that I am considering joining).  There's some hill climbing (the course is built on the steep North bank of the Tyne Valley) but it is really only on a handful of holes (2, 5, 7, 10) and of these 2, 5 and 7 are excellent uphill holes.  I didn't like 10 as much but that maybe because I double bogeyed it in the middle a string of 9 pars eitehr side.  There's plenty of width (except on 11, as illustrated above) but positioning is important.  Interestingly I think Scott has provided wide playing corridors (though with plenty of centre line hazards) where position is important but where the ideal position for the drive is dependant on pin position.  It's certainly a course where correct thinking on the tee is crucial.  My favourite holes (on one play) were the excellent par 4 6th, the reachable but steeply uphill par 5 7th, the steeply downhill 8th with its double fairway, the 11th, the wonderfully wide downhill 13th, short but treacherous par 3 14th and the par 5 17th.

A good set of interesting greens, too, and in great condition considering how new the course is.

[Adam Lawrence]

I've seen the course a few times now (though still not actually hit a ball in anger there!) and I think it's the sort of place that will really grow on you - a good place to be a member, if you don't mind the stiff walk. The thirteenth is the hole that will get all the ink - what's not to like with a steeply downhill hole that has a massively wide fairway, just yelling at you to really kill the driver, but that demands you position your shot according to the location of the flag if you want a decent chance at a three? - but there are lots of less obvious but interesting holes too.

Scott did an excellent job on a tough property. Getting most of the hill climbing out of the way at the start of the round was a wise decision. The second hike up the hill at the tenth is hard work (I think Mark will not be the only one to pick this as his least favourite) but it was pretty much unavoidable, I think - hard to see how the routing could have been made to work otherwise, given the restrictions on tree felling etc. And the par threes are uniformly very good.

[Scott Macpherson]

HI James,

Thanks for thinking of me. I was actually just checking up on the recent threads on TOC, but was surprised (and delighted) to see Martins post on Close House. It certainly diverted my attention.

And the way Adam and Mark are talking about it, i've got so excited I thinking I might have to make a return trip!

Scott

PS- Adam, next time you are driving though the area, we will meet up for a game... maybe with Mark?

[Niall C]

Scott

Congratulations, looks fantastic. I remember you posting on a thread about the largest elevational changes in a course, or was it in one hole, can't remember, and you mentioned that you were working on this course. How did you approach the routing with some of those elevational changes in mind ? Do the holes play uphill or do you have the climbs between holes or is it all gradual ?

Marty

Great thread. The amount you get around there must be a lot more photo tours to come, surely ? 

Niall

[Tom_Doak]

Ally,

There are a few Colt courses in the area (Brancepeth Castle, Tyneside, Northumberland and City of Newcastle (though I suspect there's not much Colt left at City).  Bamburgh Castle is a Doak "Dumb Blonde"

I feel bad for having called Bamburgh Castle a "dumb blonde".  It's certainly a quirky course, but not necessarily dumb.  It definitely has some beautiful spots.

[Scott Macpherson]

HI Niall,


The course has about 90m (300 feet) elevation change from the lowest point to the highest point (Pretty much the same as Pasatiempo). Due to the lay-out of the property, the historic main house, and the other golf course, golfers start at the low point of the course. The 1st hole is fairly level. The main uphill holes are 2,5, and 10, and the saddle on 11this the high point. From there, it is all downhill (with the slight exception of the 15th tee shot) till the end.

The walks from green to tee are generally very short. I guess the best way to imagine the property is not as 'hilly', but as being on a hill side. It is south facing (good for the winter sun, and has the River Tyne on is lowest boundary – though you don't see it really) Fortunately however, it is has three terraces (bottom, middle and top) that are separated by two slopes. Many of the holes, e.g. 1,3,4,9,14,15,18, play along these terraces, so have no speakable elevation change. These help the rhythm of golf course considerably.

So understanding the slopes was one key to routing. But it was shaped by other factors too, such as Tree Protection Orders, Archeology areas, buried services, pre-determined start and finish points, existing roadways, etc. The routing was crucial to getting this course to sit comfortably on the property and I think we got it about right. And a direct cost benefit to the client of the routing being as it is was our being able to build the course with minimal (in todays standards) earthworks; only a little over 100,000m3. (NB- For comparison, I was at a Nicklaus course under construction in China last year and they were moving over 7,000,000m3. The most interesting thing I found about this was that the earthworks rate per cubic m was almost exactly the same as we had in the UK. So imagine the difference in costs to the client?)

If there is a neat flip side to the uphill holes at Close House, its the fact you get some fun downhill holes too. These are most notably the 6th, 8th and 13th.

Hope you get a chance to visit.


scott

[Niall C]

Scott

Many thanks for the explanation. I'm looking forward to getting down to play it although sadly that won't be until next year. Hopefully I can persuade Mark to organise another get together. Any other new projects on the go ?

Cheers

Niall

[Marty Bonnar]

Great comments guys. Sorry, I've not replied sooner. Issues with my phone line past couple of days.
I thought Scott used the land phenomenally well given that it's basically a steepish valley side. Holes played diagonally across rather than straight up and down - apart from #10, before which luckily is a mandatory 10 minute 'tea-break' at the range bar. I played with a couple of Founder members - one a very old friend. They're both fly-boys who get lots of free time and have really been utilising their memberships quite, ehm, 'fully'. They were both full of praise not only for the course but for the whole club setup. Just goes to show this model clearly has a place in the UK. Mark, I really think you SHOULD join. (In case either of my boys give up their memberships!!!) ;0)
As a wee aside, we played the other course - the 'Filly'- on the sunday. On the valley floor this one is a bit of a sleeper. LOTS of really good fun holes and some terrific greens if a tad parallel. Could do with some modernisation - doing anything there, Scott? I thought I detected a bit of more recent work on the 16th/17th?
cheers,
FBD.

[Scott Macpherson]

HI Martin,

Oh, I'm glad you got to play the 'Filly'. There are some neat shots down there, and it's lovely in amongst those big old Oaks. Yes, 16 and 17 are new holes. Graham Wylie took ownership of the property about 2004 and those holes were added about 2006. Around the same time, the then Greenkeeper updated all the greens. Maybe the 'Filly' would benefit from having some new bunkers added in more strategic places, but for the most part it provides a good balance to the boldness of the 'Colt' course.


Niall,

As regards other projects, currently Greg Turner and I are working in New Zealand on the large scale renovation and redevelopment of Royal Wellington Golf Club. It's a 27-hole project, and we have been in construction since January 2011. We are very happy with progress there. Next year I hope to be working with Sandy Lyle on a wonderful new course in Lanarkshire, Scotland called Kersewell Resort. I am quite excited by prospect of this project, one reason being that because I live in Edinburgh, I don't have to get on the plane to get to the site!

regards,

Scott

[Niall C]

Scott

Excellent. Lanarkshire's my home turf so you may get a visit whether you like it or not ! Any news on a likely start date ?

Niall

[Mark Pearce]

I feel bad for having called Bamburgh Castle a "dumb blonde".  It's certainly a quirky course, but not necessarily dumb.  It definitely has some beautiful spots.

If there's a more beautiful spot in golf on a sunny day than the 15th tee I'd be astonished.  Views of Budle Bay, the Farne Islands,  a close up of a castle and, in the distance Lindisfarne priory and castle.  Stunning.  And the golf isn't bad, quirky, short but fun.

[Mike_Clayton]

Scott,

It look great - a little more advanced from what we played a couple of years ago.
I think you would agree that it was a really difficult site - hard to make something good of holes like 5,8,10 and 16 but those holes are remarkable if you compare them to what they made up the road at Slaley Hall.

[Scott Macpherson]

HI Mike,

Yes, certainly there were some challenges. The 10th is a good case in point. The planning consent on that hole restricted the earthworks on the second half of the hole. From just past the left-hand fairway bunker, we were not permitted to alter the ground contours. They are very old (1900 years??) ridge and furrows created by Oxen (Archeologists can tell that by the width between furrows and the fact they glide around the slope on a gentle arc – apparently Oxen were not very agile creatures... unlike those younger cultivations created by horses). We were permitted to prepare the soil for seeding of the grasses required for fairways.

You know what though, I think that the 7 years it took us to get from the start to opening paid dividends in the end. We were able to think about how to incorporate all the unique little features of the property into the routing and design. I hope can come back next year and play it properly.

During Construction- View from 10th Tee. (FW bunker marked out in white chalk. The stake just visible on top of the hill indicates the green location)


Ridge and Furrow protected and prepared for seeding.



Mike, I was grateful for your visits to site. Your input certainly helped. Here's some photos. I don't know if you have seen these?

You and Peter Fowler on the 9th... playing from my favourite tee. (Nb– pre-opening, no sand in the bunkers)


Again, on the forward tee, taking a driver to the green... and making it (without going in the bunker or OB left of the green). Very good!

[Mark Pearce]

Scott,

It look great - a little more advanced from what we played a couple of years ago.
I think you would agree that it was a really difficult site - hard to make something good of holes like 5,8,10 and 16 but those holes are remarkable if you compare them to what they made up the road at Slaley Hall.

Close House is a night and day comparison with Slaley Hall.  It strikes me that the CH property is a harder property to work with than the land that the Hunting Course is built on.  Yet one is a really good course, full of strategic interest, fun shots and challenge.  The other is just a hard slog, noteable only for the presence of two or three really poor holes.